Deus Irae

About “Deus Irae”

Deus Irae is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by American authors Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny. It was published in 1976 and takes its title from the Latin phrase "God of Wrath," a play on "Dies Irae," meaning "Day of Wrath." The novel is based on Dick's short story "The Great C." Dick began the book but felt unprepared to complete it due to a lack of knowledge about Christianity. He asked Ted White to collaborate, but White never started the project. In 1968, Zelazny discovered the manuscript in White's home, read it, and contacted Dick to work on it together. Their collaboration was inconsistent over the years, and Zelazny's cat once urinated on the original manuscript. The novel was completed in 1975 under pressure from the publisher, who demanded the manuscript or repayment of an advance. Zelazny sent photocopies, but the editor required the original pages, which had been stained by the cat.